How often would you have, could have, and should have entered your thoughts? Me, probably too many times to count, and I’d imagine you may be in the same boat. Looking back, you will recall times when you made some whopper mistakes and wish you could have or should have made better decisions.
I would not have stuffed donuts in my face if only my co-worker hadn’t brought them to work. You know, things like and other low points. My mistakes usually come back to haunt me at 3 am and leave me lying awake in a cold sweat.
Any excuse for some funky James Brown.
Anyway, where was I?
Yep, I would have, could have, and should have. However, we in Australia like to shorten our words and add unnecessary vowels. We often say woulda, coulda, and shoulda, and that concludes our Aussie slang session for today. Sometimes, this line of thinking holds us back from achieving goals and acting in our best interests.
Let’s explore this and ways to get past it so you can crush your health and fitness goals.
Would Have Could Have And Should Have Done That
Hindsight is always 20/20.
Reflecting on past actions and how you could have handled them is natural. For instance, there have been times when my anger has gotten the best of me and led to some serious personal issues. Do I wish I could go back and change that? Sure, every damn time, it comes into my head at 3 am.
Past mistakes led to massive would have, could have, and should have conversations in my head.
If you and I know you cannot go back and change the past, even though you might want to, it doesn’t stop it from happening. At times, scenarios like this play an endless loop in my head, and at what time? Yep, you guessed it, at 3 am.
These moments act like a double-edged sword because it’s okay to be reminded of past errors so you learn from them. But they can also drag you down into a deep, dark hole and generally stop you from moving on. And what does this have to do with anything health- and fitness-related? This is starting to read like a Dear Abby column.
Turn Would Have Could Have And Should Have Around
Did you know that a Catholic priest and a personal trainer have something in common besides being human? Both can take confession. Whether it’s a client or someone who knows what I do for a living, it all comes out.
The alcohol they drank.
All the not-so-healthy food they ate.
I’ve been on the other end of this ‘confession’ more times than I care to remember. If it’s not a client, my care factor is less than zero, but that doesn’t stop the person from spilling their guts.
If it’s not the food and drink, it’s all the times they stopped and started and stopped their fitness routine. Then, would-have, should-have, and could-have conversation comes into play. I sometimes express a few thoughts before my eyes glaze over, and my head wants to run into the nearest wall.
What are my thoughts?
Before getting to that, a few things. Your health and fitness care about your past because you wear what you eat; it is the sum of your actions, good and not-so-good. But more so about the past, your health and fitness depend on what you do now and in the future.
So, make the next thing you eat and drink more nutritious, and don’t miss that workout (hopefully, it’s something you enjoy). If you need to go to confession, see a priest.
What were those thoughts I expressed before running my head into a wall?
Be kind to yourself, practice self-forgiveness, and do it because you’re willing to express yourself to improve. There is no need to be perfect; your health and fitness need consistency, not perfection.
Wrapping Up
If you were keeping score, I included James Brown, Australian slang, and confession in one place. Not bad, right? Anyhow, if you have learned anything from the would-have, should-have, and could-have game, it does not define you. Your future and the actions you take do because if you know better, you will do better.
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